A Hunting Tale
by Aria Breuer
Summary: Pre-WotR (War of the Ring). While on a hunting trip, Elladan and Elrohir come across an Orc camp. There, the elf twins find prisoners and free them. Turns out the prisoners are Dúnedain, who were traveling to Bree but were ambushed by Orcs. Book-verse; Canon Gap-filler. No slash.


**A Hunting Tale**

**By: Aria Breuer**

**Disclaimers:** All material from _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. All original material, including the plot, belongs to the author of this fanfiction story.

**Summary:** Pre-WotR (War of the Ring). While on a hunting trip, Elladan and Elrohir come across an Orc camp. There, the elf twins find prisoners and free them. Turns out the prisoners are Dúnedain, who were traveling to Bree but were ambushed by Orcs.

* * *

Honestly, I am so sick and tired of people portraying Elladan and Elrohir as troublemakers and pranksters. To break this cliché, I figure I should show Elladan and Elrohir as they are canon-wise: elven warriors and archers, which led to my crush on these two elves in the first place and my fascination towards them. They were portrayed brilliantly in the fan film "Born of Hope", and that inspiration is helpful to this story of these two elves.

* * *

Elladan moved silently through the forest. The deer was close now. Stringing an arrow to his bow, Elladan readied his shot. The deer looked up, right at him. He was so close now. All he needed was a shot…

Elrohir whispered over his shoulder, "Elladan."

Elladan faced his brother, lowering his bow. True, it wasn't the first time there were twins in their family, Elladan and Elrohir had the same long dark-hair, grey-eyes, their faces elven-fair, and wearing green elven hunting armor and mail under a cloak of silver-grey. It was almost hard to tell them apart, but there was a way: Elladan had a kindness about him, whereas Elrohir showed boldness and was more talkative than Elladan.

Elladan asked his brother, "What news have you learned, brother?"

"There's an orc camp not far from here. We should investigate, before more orc filth enters the North," said Elrohir.

Orcs had captured and imprisoned their mother. Elladan and Elrohir were lucky to have saved her, but the price had been grave, for their mother Celebrían sailed away to the Undying Lands. Since then, the elf twin's hatred for orcs was cemented.

Elladan nodded. "Lead on, brother."

Swiftly and silently, Elladan and Elrohir moved about the forest like striding deer. A short distance passed without trouble, leading the elven twins straight to the orc camp. Indeed, there was a nest of orcs guarding the camp and infesting inside, but they were also holding prisoners in wooden cages. Elladan counted the number of orcs.

"There's about a dozen or more, plus a troll," said Elladan.

"The troll's inside a cave. It won't come until there's a disturbance. We'll have to be swift, if we're to release the prisoners. They're keeping some prisoners in cages and others in groups," said Elrohir.

Elladan readied his bow. He said, chiding, "Time to move, like wraiths we are."

Elrohir found a good spot. He paid no heed to his brother, who joined him. When they were armed and ready, Elladan and Elrohir shot arrows around the camp, smacking orcs straight through the chests. The elf twins moved around the camp, shooting orcs and glad they had not been spotted.

The orcs were alert, wondering where the arrows came from. They kept a guard in front of the camp. What the orc leader of the camp did not understand was the orc guard was also shot by an arrow. The orc pulled an arrow out of the dead orc guard's body.

"Elves. The filth!" cried an orc. He pulled out his knife, asking aloud, "Where are you? Filth!"

More orcs were shot by arrows, leaving the Orc leader alone. Not knowing what hit him, the Orc leader was stabbed through the stomach by Elladan. Blood trickled out of the Orc leader's mouth. Elladan pulled his sword out of the Orc leader's stomach, causing the Orc leader to collapse and die.

Elladan twirled the hilt of his sword, before he helped Elrohir free the prisoners. Using his knife, Elrohir broke the prisoners' bonds, those prisoners that were lying on the ground. Elladan, in the meantime, broke open the cells, freeing the prisoners inside.

One of the prisoners, a Woman, told Elrohir, "Thank you for freeing us."

"You can thank my brother and me after we leave this camp," said Elrohir. "Why did orcs capture you?"

"We were traveling to Bree when the Orcs ambushed us. Half my family is dead," said the Woman.

"Bree's not far from here," said Elladan.

"We'll take you and everyone else as far as Bree. There's healers that can cleanse your wounds," said Elrohir to the Woman.

"Thank you, my lords. Thank you," said the Woman.

Elrohir told Elladan, "We should go…" He was cut off by an ungodly roar. The roar came from the cave, and it was obvious the roar belonged to the troll. Elrohir told the prisoners, now free, "Go on ahead and wait for us. We'll find you, soon after we defeat this troll."

The Woman nodded and followed the other prisoners away from the orc camp. Elladan followed Elrohir to the troll cave, where they heard more bellows. The two male elves peered inside the cave, where they saw a group of trolls debating. They were too many for the elf twins to defeat. Elrohir peered up at the sky and saw it was high noon. Readying his bow, Elladan fired a warning shot straight at the stone wall.

The trolls were alerted to the sound, wondering who it was. A troll told his companions, "Whose there?"

"_Ai!_" cried Elladan, revealing himself.

"Get him!" said the same troll.

"What about the sun?" asked another troll.

The troll bellowed a warning roar, before charging out of the cave first, alongside his comrades. Elrohir pulled Elladan back against the cliff wall, right as all the trolls in the cave toppled over one another, turning to stone in the sunlight. When the moment passed, Elladan and Elrohir returned to the orc camp, shooting a few orcs that kept to the shadows or weren't aware of what happened there. With the evil passing across this area, Elladan and Elrohir found the prisoners, who were Dúnedain, and led them away from the Orc camp.

With a change in plans, the elf twins followed the Woman and the Dúnedain back to their small settlement. After the Dúnedain returned to the settlement, they were happy to be reunited with their families. Elladan and Elrohir knew their work was done, at least with bringing the prisoners home.

Seeing the elf twins walk away, the Woman called to them. Relieved to have their attention, the Woman told them, "Thank you for bringing me back to my family."

"Orcs will cross these lands, as long as the Shadow of Mordor is still lit," said Elrohir.

"We'll make sure the Orcs never cross these lands again," said Elladan.

"Thank you. Where will you go, Lords Elladan and Elrohir?" asked the Woman.

"To Rivendell," said Elrohir, "with luck."

"Little Estel waits there. We would not want to disappoint him," said Elladan.

"Then I wish you luck and safe travels, my lords," said the Woman.

Elladan nodded, "And to you." He followed Elrohir out of the settlement. Just another day filled with deeds. Elladan and Elrohir were certain not to miss those deeds, no matter how long it took to get them done.


End file.
